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Hi there, nice to have you visiting! I'm Heidi and this is the blog for Heidi Bears. Here is where I post all the happenings in my work and daily life. Here and there you'll find info on things that have caught my attention as well as the odd tutorial. I hope you enjoy your visits. I love to have feedback, so leave me a comment!

Monday, January 6, 2014

So, if you have read parts of my blog, you'll know that I love sock knitting! I think the technical aspects of it fascinate me more than the actual knitting , although, of course the two go hand in hand. When I started learning to knit socks, I was completely out of my depth. There are SO many different ways to knit socks...toe up, top down...each of which has a myriad of ways to make a toe and a heel.

There are plenty of resources which will show you how to knit a basic wrap and turn short row heel, but what about all the other options? Once the sock knitting bug has bitten you, you are pretty much going to want to know what a Half Handkerchief Heel is...what a Star Toe is ...how do you make an Afterthought Heel or knit a heel flap (or for that matter a Faux Heel Flap heel) with a rounded heel turn...the list is endless! You may even have heard of a Dutch Heel or a a German or Band Heel, and then one hasn't even started on the variations you can find for toes! If you are anything like me, the thought of trying to ferret out the information on some obscure hard-to-find webpage is exhausting...

For this reason, I had to let you all know about a new eBook on sock knitting techniques that I found! The wonderful thing about this ebook is that you can learn to do all of these techniques on baby socks! It's the perfect way to learn a new technique without having to knit a full-sized pair of socks each time. And they are just adorable, as you can imagine :)

She has released a fantastic new ebook which delves into all kinds of heel and toe constructions. She's even thrown in gorgeous cuff options, like how to knit a folded picot hem cuff! Here's the introduction from the book that gives you a wonderful overview:

"When I started knitting, I always swore I would never ever knit
socks. You know what they say about “never say never”… I am now well and
truly hooked on sock knitting.This book was born from the idea of trying the many different ways of
turning a heel, without committing to a full size adult sock. Often, a
new technique is best learned and practiced on a small scale, before we
unleash our knitting powers on a larger, more complicated pattern. Baby
socks are the perfect vehicle for trying things out. They are quick and
easy, take minimal yarn and result in the cutest itty-bitty socks. Great
if you have little ones in your life who need warm toes and equally
great for learning techniques and knitting purely for the process of
working through the heel, before embarking on a larger scale project.All the patterns are written bearing in mind that you may not have
encountered this heel technique before or may be new to socks. There are
detailed step-by-step instructions that will enable you to successfully
knit these socks with minimal previous sock knitting experience.I hope you enjoy working your way through these designs."

The eBook contains nine patterns (five patterns were released in December and four will be added to the ebook in January). Here is a run down of what you can expect to make:

Flexor is a pretty colorful sock that features a afterthought heel, and can be knit top down or toe up.

Tarsi is a textured sock, knit cuff down, with a heel flap and a rounded heel.

Planum is a toe up sock that has a faux heel flap and a ribbed cuff.

Phalanges is a little lace sock, knit toe up that has a short row heel and boasts a gorgeous little folded picot cuff.

Bursa has a garter stitch short row heel, is knit from the top down and has pretty lace columns.

The sock patterns that will be added to the ebook are:

Tetius is a little cabled sock, knit top down using a heel flap with a V or half- handkerchief heel, which is awesome because the cables run onto the heel.

Brevis features a heel flap with a German or Band heel turn.

Longus is constructed using a Dutch or square heel turn.

Ossa is a colorful, clever little sock that features a variation of the afterthought heel: the star heel.

The book is amazingly well written. Clare takes the reader through every aspect you need to cover including what needles to use, information about yarns, techniques with links to explanations, favorite cast-ons and cast-offs, step by step short row instructions, detailed sock anatomy and more.

Each pattern is sized from newborn to 3 years old.

Honestly folks...if you buy one sock book this year, this should be the one! All of the patterns have been test knitted and tech edited, so it is an absolute pleasure to read and use.

I would like to add that Clare is such an amazingly generous lady too! When I contacted her about the ebook, she offered to gift a copy of the book to one winner who has read this post. Although she didn't ask me to promote anything, I would like more people to know about this wonderful resource, so:
If you would like to be eligible to win a copy of this ebook, please leave a comment on the following blog post, mentioning your favorite sock pattern from the book, as well as tweeting about it.

In addition she has set up a special 20% discount for all readers who would like to buy the ebook between now and the end of January 2014. The discount code is:

heidibears1

When you click on the link below, you will be taken to the ebook's purchase page on Ravelry. Click on the "Buy it now" button. A pop up will appear that has a coupon code box into which you type the code above in order to get your discount.

Clare will be hosting a Knit-along on her Ravelry group soon, so if you feel a little daunted by the prospect of learning alone, have no fear...you can join in for advice, encouragement and know you can learn to knit all kinds of socks!

The winner will be chosen by random number generator on Sunday the 12th of January 2014 at 19H00 South African time. The winner will have to be a Ravelry memeber with a username, in order to have the ebook delivered into their Ravelry library.

So, that's my excitement for the week...I really love this ebook and think that it will help anyone who wants to learn to knit different kinds of socks. Go ahead and take a look...you will want to cast on straight away!

Have a great 2014 everyone...may you knit and crochet happily throughout the year!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Hi everyone :)
I am immensely happy and proud to have finished my rhino pattern and it is now available to buy on Ravelry, Craftsy and Etsy.

Thandi is the eighth of my patterns that makes use
of the African Flower hexagon crochet motif and variations thereof,
joined in a specific order to make a recognizable 3D item. I love this
African Flower pattern and the creative possibilities of using it to
make 3D items She’s also an excellent stash buster project, as you only
need to use very small amounts of leftover sock yarn to make a motif.$1 of every pattern sold will be donated to the Kariega Foundation. You can read about them on their website:http://www.kariega.co.za/about-us/kariega-foundationPlease support this worthy cause…whether you choose to buy a
pattern or donate to them directly, your help is invaluable in fighting
the scourge of senseless poaching…thank you!

Thank you very much for all your support folks! I appreciate each person who has kindly bought a pattern!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Hi everyone :)
I am very proud of my latest African Flower pattern...introducing Fatty Lumpkin! I have so enjoyed the design process and making of this little pony, that he is dear to my heart :) He is constructed seamlessly with a join-as-you-go , so there are no seams to sew. He is made from various colors of sock weight yarn, and is 27cmx28cm in size.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Hi everyone :)
I am SO excited to announce that I have completed the pattern for Nellie, my latest African Flower crochet pattern. She is a sweet, bright, silly little ellie, crocheted in sock weight yarn and can be constructed seamlessly with a join-as-you-go crochet method which I explain in the pattern.

She can be bought here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nellie-the-elephant-african-flower-crochet-pattern
The pattern costs $6.50 and can be bought through Paypal. I so hope you will enjoy making her :)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Hi everyone :)
I am so excited to share that after what feels like many moons, I have finished and uploaded the Happypotamus crochet pattern to my Ravelry shop! Happy is made using the African Flower crochet motif and is a seamlessly made toy/friend. This is a great stashbuster as each flower only needs a little yarn... here is the link for the pattern...

Friday, January 18, 2013

Pigwig is a girl piglet, who is dressed in her prettiest frock and shoes, with stripy stockings...she is knitted, virtually seamlessly, with only the smallest seam on her body and two small seams on her dress.

She stands around 30cm tall if knitted in the recommended yarns...

I have enjoyed creating this little piglet very much, and have tried to make the pattern clear, using many photos and step by step directions...I really hope you will have fun knitting her :)

Olli Polli The Elephant Pattern

Lollo African Flower Bear Pattern Click to Buy Now

The Hearty Hexagon Crochet Motif Pattern

Hi, I'm Heidi, the creative mind behind Heidi Bears, the blog! I am a happily married mom of two beautiful daughters, and live in an old house with wooden floors, which needs more attention than a newborn...but we love her anyway!
I love creative activities and have probably tried every kind of craft at one time or another :) I feel blessed and thankful for the diversity in my life...